Kendall Simmons

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #16 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Simmons made a quick impression after being drafted in the sixth round in 2018, highlighted by hitting 12 home runs with a .520 slugging percentage at short-season Williamsport in 2019. The athletic middle infielder spent the summer of 2020 helping coach East Cobb teams in Atlanta before getting added to the instructional league roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons has impressive power and added even more after spending the summer working on his conditioning. He's added 30 pounds of muscle from the time he was drafted and came out hitting the ball hard in instructs. Simmons is athletic but still has some rawness in his game, particularly as a hitter. He shows quick bat speed but tends to sell out too much for power with a pull-happy approach. He also needs to work on staying in the strike zone. Simmons has a strong, average to above-average arm, but doesn't have good actions at shortstop and the Phillies still aren't sure where he will end up defensively. He's moved around the infield, but could even end up in left field eventually. He is a fringe-average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons was one of the players in the organization most hurt by not having a minor league season. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #21 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: In high school, Simmons showed impressive power, but also struggled with strikeouts and his defense at shortstop. Two years later, he has impressive power and struggles with strikeouts and defense. He finished second in the New York-Penn League with 12 home runs while hitting .230.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons' defense requires plenty of work. The Phillies moved him from shortstop to primarily second and third base in 2019, but he's below-average at both spots now. His footwork isn't ideal, he struggles at turning double plays and his hands don't work all that well, especially to his backhand. He has an above-average arm. But Simmons is athletic enough that there is hope that with work, he can improve to fringe-average or even average at second and third. Offensively, he shows impressive power potential with plus-plus raw power, excellent exit velocities and the potential to hit 20-plus home runs one day. He currently chases a lot of pitches out of the zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons has enough power and athleticism to develop to have potential to be an everyday regular, but he has a long ways to go. Low Class A Lakewood is the next step up the ladder.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #226 prospect in 2018 draft
  Something of a split-camp player, Simmons has a few plus tools including 60-grade raw power and a plus arm, but teams are mixed on his ability to stick at shortstop, as well as his feel to hit. He had a poor summer with a lot of swing and miss, but when Simmons does connect with balls they go a long ways and he's driven homers with authority in front of the right people at times. The power comes more from natural strength than twitchiness, which doesn't ease the concerns that he'll always swing and miss too much to get the most of his juice in-game. Defensively, Simmons has solid hands and defensive actions but again, he's not super twitchy and he's just an average runner, leading many teams to look at him as a third baseman. His spring was inconsistent and he'd occasionally start to barrel balls all over the field, but scouts would also leave fields wondering if he would ever hit, in part because the competition he's facing is not great. There's a good chance Simmons gets drafted higher than his ranking as some teams think he's a shortstop with a plus arm, plus power and a chance to hit while an equal amount see a third baseman with raw power but no way to get to it consistently.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #15 prospect in 2019
  Simmons got off to a rough start in June, when he hit just .194/.244/.472 in 10 games. He kept making offensive adjustments and hit .278/.398/.646 with seven homers in the month of August. His power surge helped Simmons lead the league in slugging percentage (.520) and tie for second in homers (12). Simmons is an excellent athlete who flashes plus power at the plate. He doesn't make a lot of consistent contact, but he does show a knack for working walks to go with his home runs. He'll have to continue to mash to make up for the deficiencies of his hit tool. His athleticism should help him stick at second base, although evaluators think he is athletic enough to handle a corner outfield spot as well. Simmons has a risky profile, but his power and ability to move around the diamond make for the ceiling of a fringe everyday player or solid utility guy.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Simmons made a quick impression after being drafted in the sixth round in 2018, highlighted by hitting 12 home runs with a .520 slugging percentage at short-season Williamsport in 2019. The athletic middle infielder spent the summer of 2020 helping coach East Cobb teams in Atlanta before getting added to the instructional league roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons has impressive power and added even more after spending the summer working on his conditioning. He's added 30 pounds of muscle from the time he was drafted and came out hitting the ball hard in instructs. Simmons is athletic but still has some rawness in his game, particularly as a hitter. He shows quick bat speed but tends to sell out too much for power with a pullhappy approach. He also needs to work on staying in the strike zone. Simmons has a strong, average to above-average arm, but doesn't have good actions at shortstop and the Phillies still aren't sure where he will end up defensively. He's moved around the infield, but could even end up in left field eventually. He is a fringe-average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons was one of the players in the organization most hurt by not having a minor league season. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Simmons made a quick impression after being drafted in the sixth round in 2018, highlighted by hitting 12 home runs with a .520 slugging percentage at short-season Williamsport in 2019. The athletic middle infielder spent the summer of 2020 helping coach East Cobb teams in Atlanta before getting added to the instructional league roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons has impressive power and added even more after spending the summer working on his conditioning. He's added 30 pounds of muscle from the time he was drafted and came out hitting the ball hard in instructs. Simmons is athletic but still has some rawness in his game, particularly as a hitter. He shows quick bat speed but tends to sell out too much for power with a pull-happy approach. He also needs to work on staying in the strike zone. Simmons has a strong, average to above-average arm, but doesn't have good actions at shortstop and the Phillies still aren't sure where he will end up defensively. He's moved around the infield, but could even end up in left field eventually. He is a fringe-average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons was one of the players in the organization most hurt by not having a minor league season. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Simmons made a quick impression after being drafted in the sixth round in 2018, highlighted by hitting 12 home runs with a .520 slugging percentage at short-season Williamsport in 2019. The athletic middle infielder spent the summer of 2020 helping coach East Cobb teams in Atlanta before getting added to the instructional league roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons has impressive power and added even more after spending the summer working on his conditioning. He's added 30 pounds of muscle from the time he was drafted and came out hitting the ball hard in instructs. Simmons is athletic but still has some rawness in his game, particularly as a hitter. He shows quick bat speed but tends to sell out too much for power with a pull-happy approach. He also needs to work on staying in the strike zone. Simmons has a strong, average to above-average arm, but doesn't have good actions at shortstop and the Phillies still aren't sure where he will end up defensively. He's moved around the infield, but could even end up in left field eventually. He is a fringe-average runner.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons was one of the players in the organization most hurt by not having a minor league season. He should make his full-season debut in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: In high school, Simmons showed impressive power, but also struggled with strikeouts and his defense at shortstop. Two years later, he has impressive power and struggles with strikeouts and defense. He finished second in the New York-Penn League with 12 home runs while hitting .230.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons’ defense requires plenty of work. The Phillies moved him from shortstop to primarily second and third base in 2019, but he’s below-average at both spots now. His footwork isn’t ideal, he struggles at turning double plays and his hands don’t work all that well, especially to his backhand. He has an above-average arm. But Simmons is athletic enough that there is hope that with work, he can improve to fringe-average or even average at second and third. Offensively, he shows impressive power potential with plus-plus raw power, excellent exit velocities and the potential to hit 20-plus home runs one day. He currently chases a lot of pitches out of the zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons has enough power and athleticism to develop to have potential to be an everyday regular, but he has a long ways to go. Low Class A Lakewood is the next step up the ladder.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: In high school, Simmons showed impressive power, but also struggled with strikeouts and his defense at shortstop. Two years later, he has impressive power and struggles with strikeouts and defense. He finished second in the New York-Penn League with 12 home runs while hitting .230.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Simmons' defense requires plenty of work. The Phillies moved him from shortstop to primarily second and third base in 2019, but he's below-average at both spots now. His footwork isn't ideal, he struggles at turning double plays and his hands don't work all that well, especially to his backhand. He has an above-average arm. But Simmons is athletic enough that there is hope that with work, he can improve to fringe-average or even average at second and third. Offensively, he shows impressive power potential with plus-plus raw power, excellent exit velocities and the potential to hit 20-plus home runs one day. He currently chases a lot of pitches out of the zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Simmons has enough power and athleticism to develop to have potential to be an everyday regular, but he has a long ways to go. Low Class A Lakewood is the next step up the ladder.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Simmons got off to a rough start in June, when he hit just .194/.244/.472 in 10 games. He kept making offensive adjustments and hit .278/.398/.646 with seven homers in the month of August. His power surge helped Simmons lead the league in slugging percentage (.520) and tie for second in homers (12). Simmons is an excellent athlete who flashes plus power at the plate. He doesn't make a lot of consistent contact, but he does show a knack for working walks to go with his home runs. He'll have to continue to mash to make up for the deficiencies of his hit tool. His athleticism should help him stick at second base, although evaluators think he is athletic enough to handle a corner outfield spot as well. Simmons has a risky profile, but his power and ability to move around the diamond make for the ceiling of a fringe everyday player or solid utility guy.